UMalaki 3
1 Khangelani, ngithuma isithunywa sami, esizalungisa indlela phambi kwami; leNkosi eliyidingayo izafika masinyane ethempelini layo, ngitsho isithunywa sesivumelwano elithokoza ngaso; khangela siyeza, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me! The Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Behold, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, is coming!” says the LORD of Armies.
2 Kodwa ngubani ongalumela usuku lokuza kwaso, njalo ngubani ongema ekubonakaleni kwaso? Ngoba sinjengomlilo womcwengi wegolide, lanjengesepa yomwatshi.
“But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderers’ soap;
3 Sizahlala njengomcwengi lomhlambululi wesiliva, sihlambulule amadodana kaLevi, siwacwenge njengegolide lanjengesiliva; ukuze asondeze iminikelo ngokulunga eNkosini.
and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to the LORD offerings in righteousness.
4 Lapho umnikelo wakoJuda loweJerusalema uzakuba mnandi eNkosini njengensukwini zendulo, lanjengeminyakeni yakuqala.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the LORD as in the days of old and as in ancient years.
5 Njalo ngizasondela kini ngokwahlulela; ngibe ngumfakazi ophangisayo ngimelene labathakathi, ngimelene lezifebe, ngimelene labafungi bamanga, ngimelene labacindezeli bamaholo abaqhatshiweyo, umfelokazi, lentandane, labasunduzela abezizweni eceleni, njalo abangangesabiyo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
I will come near to you to judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and do not fear me,” says the LORD of Armies.
6 Ngoba ngiyiNkosi, kangiphenduki; ngakho lina madodana kaJakobe kaliqedwa.
“For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
7 Ngitsho kusukela ensukwini zaboyihlo liphambukile ezimisweni zami, kalizigcinanga. Buyelani kimi, lami ngizabuyela kini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla. Kanti lithi: Sizabuyela ngani?
From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Armies. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’
8 Umuntu angamphanga yini uNkulunkulu? Kanti lina lingiphangile. Kodwa lithi: Sikuphange ngani? Ngokwetshumi langomnikelo.
Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings.
9 Liqalekisiwe ngesiqalekiso, ngoba lingiphangile, lesisizwe sonke.
You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.
10 Lethani konke okwetshumi esiphaleni ukuze kube lokudla endlini yami. Lingihlole-ke khathesi kukho, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, uba ngingayikulivulela amawindi amazulu, ngilithululele isibusiso kuze kungabi lendawo eyaneleyo.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says the LORD of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be enough room for.
11 Ngizakhuza odlayo ngenxa yenu, njalo kayikulichithela izithelo zomhlabathi; levini kaliyikulibozisela ensimini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field,” says the LORD of Armies.
12 Njalo zonke izizwe zizakuthi libusisiwe, ngoba lina lizakuba yilizwe elithokozisayo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
“All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the LORD of Armies.
13 Amazwi enu abelukhuni emelene lami, itsho iNkosi. Kanti lithi: Sikhulumeni simelene lawe?
“Your words have been harsh against me,” says the LORD. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against you?’
14 Lithe: Kuyize ukukhonza uNkulunkulu. Njalo kuyinzuzo bani ukuthi sigcine imfanelo yakhe, lokuthi sihambe sikwezimnyama phambi kweNkosi yamabandla?
You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God,’ and ‘What profit is it that we have followed his instructions and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of Armies?
15 Khathesi-ke sithi abaziqhenyayo babusisiwe; yebo, labo abenza inkohlakalo bayakhiwa; yebo balinga uNkulunkulu, baphephe.
Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.’
16 Khona labo abayesabayo iNkosi bakhulumisana; njalo iNkosi yalalela, yezwa; logwalo lwesikhumbuzo lwalotshwa phambi kwayo ngabo abayesabayo iNkosi, langalabo abazindla ngebizo layo.
Then those who feared the LORD spoke one with another; and the LORD listened and heard, and a book of memory was written before him for those who feared the LORD and who honored his name.
17 Njalo bazakuba ngabami, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, ngalolosuku engizakwenza ngalo okuligugu kwami, njalo ngizabayekela njengendoda eyekela indodana yayo eyisebenzelayo.
They shall be mine,” says the LORD of Armies, “my own possession in the day that I make. I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.
18 Beselibuya libona umehluko phakathi kolungileyo lomubi, phakathi kokhonza uNkulunkulu lalowo ongamkhonziyo.
Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve him.
